Anomaly Research Centre:Exclusives/Sarah Dollard Interview
ZEM got in contact with Sarah Dollard for an interview by email. Sarah was Script Editor for Series 4 and Series 5, as well as Writer of the Series 4 Prequel Webisodes. Thank you very much Sarah for your patience and answers to my questions! ---- 1. What does an Script Editor do? This is actually a pretty good description of what a script editor does! Bless Wikipedia. However, on Primeval the job gets a bit more involved on a production level than it might on a straight drama. This is because, as you know, our episodes are packed with all the excellent, fun stuff that's complicated to shoot - tonnes of locations (most of them outdoors), lots of action, and lots of CGI, and nearly all of the action and CGI is shaped by our chosen locations. This means the script editor has a lot more to do with the directors, the location manager, the production designer, etc, all the way through the planning and shooting process, to make sure the script makes the most of production constraints and opportunities. 2. How did you become involved with Primeval? I worked on Merlin in 2009 and a lovely person at Shine recommended me to Impossible Pictures when they were looking for a Script Editor on Primeval. I went through the interview and selection process, and started on the show in January 2010 as we kicked off the scripts for Series Four. 3. Were you familiar with the show prior to becoming involved? I actually hadn’t seen it until my prep for the job interview, which was madness considering I’m a nut for sci-fi and fantasy TV, and the premise is such fun. However, two good friends who were into the show had told me all about it, and I’d picked up a lot just by being a TV geek online – I already had a strong hunch who I’d ship and who I’d crush on before I popped disc one into the DVD player. Before my first interview I watched all three series back to back and had a ball. 4. How did you become the writer for the webisodes? The Powers That Be at Impossible Pictures had seen quite a bit of my writing by the time we kicked into gear on the webisodes, and they asked me if I’d like to do it. From memory I responded by bursting into tears, partly because we were right in the middle of production on the main series at the time, and Katie Newman and I were juggling about eight scripts, but mostly because I was very happy and grateful for the gig. 5. Is there any reason that Matt and Gideon only converse via their mobiles in the webisodes? Yes! I could lie and claim it was to increase the aura of cloak-and-dagger around the two new characters but the real reason is rather more pedestrian. We were shooting the webisodes at the same time as S5 so had to fit the schedule in and around the main shoot. As we weren’t positive we could get Ciarán and Anton Lesser in the same place on the same day, I wrote their scenes so they could be filmed separately. As it turned out, I believe we could have shot them in the same place after all but I think it worked out well; it was a nice shock to see our new leading man exit the ARC and immediately pull out his phone to (seemingly) betray the characters we know and love. 6. Is there any reason that Matt refers to Gideon by his name, rather than "father?" Ask a script editor a seemingly simple question, get an over-detailed and rambling answer about back story… Gideon has spent most of his adult life trying - unsuccessfully - to trace the source of the anomaly catastrophe, so we imagined he has spent the last fifty odd years sniffing around anyone and anything potentially related to the anomalies. This no doubt got him close to the ARC in recent years, so it was imperative that he and Matt never be seen together, lest Matt’s true motives be exposed. Therefore, the pair always met in secret and never acknowledged their true relationship. What’s more, we felt that it suited both men to live their lives in our time in a very cold and determined way; they had their mission and nothing else could matter, not even family. Their personal relationship was essentially put on hold while they did everything to save humanity. Poor messed-up Matt! Their father-son bond only came to the fore in Gideon’s last moments. 7. Who played the "interrogator" in the webisodes? I could tell you that but then I’d have to tie you up and lock you in a room with a Terror Bird, before leaping through an anomaly. 8. Do you think that the webisodes will ever be released on DVD? I hope so! But I know no more than you do. 9. Do you have a favourite Primeval episode? I love all of series five but I am especially fond of 5.2, Steve Bailie’s submarine episode. I mean, come on – a submarine, underwater dinosaurs, lots of Lester, men in uniform, Abby and Connor at their cutest before everything goes horribly wrong – what’s not to love? The only thing missing is Becker. On both creative and production levels I think everything came together right in that episode and we’re all very proud of it. The Mill outdid themselves, and how brilliant was (Production Designer) Michael Ralph ’s submarine? I visited as much as I could while he and his talented team were constructing the set, just so that I could nerd out and ask him loads of questions. The man’s a genius. 10. Do you have a favourite Primeval character? Lester, without a doubt. He’s the most fun to write, and the most fun to watch. In fact, it was very difficult not to slip into squee-tastic fangirl mode whenever I was around Ben Miller. But I also adore Abby, and was so excited that she had a really meaty journey across S4 & S5 – Hannah kicked butt! Emily is also a favourite, and I’m a big fan of what Ruth Bradley did with the role. I have to stop now or I’ll end up just listing all the characters. Becker. Did I mention Becker? 11. Do you have a favourite Primeval creature? Difficult! I love all the scary, gory, destructive creatures like the raptors and the giant burrowing insect from 5.1 – anything that lets you get your adrenalin on. But if I had to pick one then I’d contradict myself and choose the mammoth. I love that our mammoth has the ability to reveal Lester as a great big softie, and I had great fun imagining it living underneath Jess’s hub throughout S4 & 5; I like to think it secretly made her a bit nervous. Originally we envisioned seeing a lot more of the menagerie throughout the two series, and I was looking forward to some running gags about Lester and his mammoth, but in the end there just wasn’t time or space for it. The Lester/Jess/mammoth spin-off will forever live only in my mind… ---- :Note: All opinions expressed in interviews belong solely to the crew or cast member interviewed, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of ZEM, Primeval Wiki or Impossible Pictures. Category:Primeval Wiki Exclusives